No Worlds for Gallagher and Price, while Galchenyuk is still deciding

MONTREAL - With the regular season winding down, the upcoming World Hockey Championships were the topic of conversation in the Canadiens' locker room on Thursday.

While Brendan Gallagher formally received an invitation from Hockey Canada on Wednesday, the 25-year-old forward elected to pass on the opportunity to represent his country in Denmark beginning in early May.
He cited health reasons for choosing to remain on this side of the pond following another taxing campaign.
"I won't be going this year. Body's a little banged up here," said Gallagher, who sported Canada's colors in the annual tournament in 2016 in Russia, and won a gold medal. "It was obviously a huge honor to represent Canada, but I think this year it's best to take care of my body and start my training right away and just get ready for next year."

Admittedly, it was a tough decision for the six-year NHL veteran to make.
"It's never easy to say no to Hockey Canada. You never know how many chances you're going to get," said Gallagher. "I went the one time and had an awesome experience. We were able to win. That's a memory that I'm pretty proud of, but I think first and foremost my obligations are to the Montreal Canadiens and you've got to take care of your body and make sure that you're ready to go 100 percent next year."
While he won't be making the trip with his fellow countrymen, the Edmonton native will still be paying close attention to the way things play out overseas.
"Going to play in the Worlds is a really positive experience. Anybody who went, just ask them," said Gallagher, the Canadiens' leading goal-scorer and point-getter during the 2017-18 campaign. "The guys that are going, I'll watch and cheer for them, and hopefully they bring back the gold."
Like Gallagher, Carey Price declined his invitation from Hockey Canada, too.
"I'm not going to be going. I'm going to spend time with my family," confirmed Price. "It's going to be a good summer to reset for sure."

That includes celebrating his young daughter Liv's second birthday on May 6, which essentially coincides with the beginning of the tournament.
For his part, Alex Galchenyuk was invited to represent the United States, but has yet to make a decision on whether or not he'll head to Denmark.
"My agent spoke to me about it. I haven't decided yet fully. There are still five games left. My focus is on that now. I will make a decision after the season," said Galchenyuk, who claimed a bronze medal at the 2013 event, which was co-hosted by Sweden and Finland. "Playing for your country is a big deal. I had tons of fun, meeting all the guys and the friendships. It's definitely a cool experience."